Page 21 of Devil's Iris

By the time sunrise finally bleeds across the horizon, I’m shaking from exhaustion and adrenaline. The warm light through my window feels like a miracle, and I finally understand why ancient peoples worshipped the sun.

How am I going to sleep here tonight?

I check the time on my phone. 6:28 AM.

I made it through the night. Somehow. But I can’t stay locked in here forever…

…Even if I want to.

With trembling hands, I reach for the handle. For a second,I hesitate. Then I suck in a shaky breath, unlock my door, and crack it open, slowly peeking out. Empty.

Knife and phone still gripped tight, I cross the hall to the bathroom I share with Mom and Ethan. Before I even see it, the smell hits me—the toilet lid is up, and the bowl is filled with thick orange liquid.Urine.

Shit, I forgot the water’s been shut off too. There’s no way I’m peeing in that. I head back to my room, my bladder screaming for relief, and dig through my closet until I find the emergency pack of wet wipes I keep hidden behind my clothes.

I pull a few out and use them to clean my face, armpits, and between my legs. Then I get dressed, trying to ignore the sticky, unclean feeling clinging to me like a second skin.

At this point, I need way more than the twenty–seven grand.

I need to pay off Mom and Ethan’s loan, get the lights and water back on, and cover the mortgage that’s due in two weeks.

A crushing pressure squeezes my skull, making me so dizzy, I have to grab the closet door for support as my knees buckle. I’m only twenty–three. I shouldn’t have to worry about all this.

When the room finally stops spinning, I let go of the closet and walk out, locking my bedroom door behind me and pocketing the key. At least I can protect what little I have left. I gather my hair into a messy bun, fingers absentmindedly combing through my bangs as I move down the hall.

The front door is still standing, technically, but the latch is completely destroyed. Another thing to fix—somehow. I sigh heavily and drag it closed behind me, creating the illusion that it’s locked. But all it would take is one knock from someone—a nosy neighbor—for it to swing wide open.

I glance towards Bree’s townhouse, but everything looks quiet.

I need to come up with a plan, or all these responsibilities are going to drown me.

First priority: find twenty–seven grand.

I make my way to my scooter, tug on my helmet, then ride to the only person I know who might be able to help me—even though it’s a wild shot.

The roads are mostly empty this early, so I reach the diner in record time. The ‘CLOSED’ sign is still up—it won’t officially open until eight—but I knock on the door, loud enough for anybody in the kitchen or back rooms to hear.

A loud curse answers me from inside.Fred.

I gulp. He was pissed at me the last time I saw him, three nights ago at that disaster of a dinner party. He paid me for those two hours, sure, but he didn’t even reply to my thank-you text.

This is literally the last place I want to show my face, let alone ask for help. But I don’t have any other options.

The diner’s door gets wrenched open, and there he is, scowling up at me. I hunch my shoulders so I don’t tower over him too much. “Hey, Fred. Good morning.”

His scowl deepens. “What do you want?”

I glance around the empty street, then back at him. “Can I come in?”

He grumbles under his breath but steps back and waves me in, closing the door behind me. “If you’re here to beg for your job back, there’s really nothing I can do for you, Leni. I don’t need another employee right now.”

“That’s not what I’m here for…” But hearing that rejection for the third time feels like a stab to the heart, piling onto the other burdens already weighing down my shoulders. I tap my toes against the gleaming terracotta floor as I glance around the small diner. How the hell do I even bring this up?

“Well, what are you here for then? You want breakfast or something?” He scrutinizes me, brows pinched together.

“No, I–” My throat closes up, and I swallow. “I–I wanted to know… I was wondering if?—”

“Just spit it out, girl. You’ve never been shy around me. Don’t start now.”